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Revision as of 04:01, 12 April 2007 by Nikkimaria (talk | contribs) (rv)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) This article is about various sports known as "football". For information about the balls used in these sports, see football (ball).
Some of the many different codes of football.

Football is the name given to a number of different, but related, team sports. The most popular of these world-wide is association football (also known as soccer). The English word "football" is also applied to American football, Australian rules football, Canadian football, Gaelic football, rugby football (rugby union and rugby league), and related games such as Ki-o-Rahi, a traditional Maori game from New Zealand. Each of these codes (specific sets of rules) is to a greater or lesser extent referred to as "football" and sometimes "footy" by its followers.

These games involve:

  • an oval or round ball called a football.
  • a team scoring goals and/or points, by moving the ball to an opposing team's end of the field and either into a goal area, or over a line.
  • the goal and/or line being defended by the opposing team.
  • players being required to move the ball forward mostly using the feet either by kicking or running with the ball in hand and — in some codes — passing the ball by hand.
  • goals and/or points resulting from players putting the ball between two goalposts.
  • offside rules, in most codes, restricting the movement of players.
  • in some codes, points are mostly scored by players carrying the ball across the goal line.
  • in most codes players scoring a goal must put the ball either under or over a crossbar between the goalposts.
  • players in some codes receiving a free kick after they take a mark/make a fair catch.

Many of the modern games have their origins in England, but many peoples around the world have played games which involved kicking and/or carrying a ball since ancient times.


Etymology

Main article: Football (word)

While it is widely believed that the word "football" (or "foot ball") originated in reference to the action of a foot kicking a ball, there is a rival explanation, which has it that football originally referred to a variety of games in medieval Europe, which were played on foot. These games were usually played by peasants, as opposed to the horse-riding sports often played by aristocrats. While there is no conclusive evidence for this explanation, the word football has always implied a variety of games played on foot, not just those that involved kicking a ball. In some cases, the word football has even been applied to games which have specifically outlawed kicking the ball.

Football today

Use of the word "football" in English-speaking countries

Further information: Football (word)

The word "football", when used in reference to a specific game can mean any one of those described above. Because of this, much friendly controversy has occurred over the term football, primarily because it is used in different ways in different parts of the English-speaking world. Most often, the word "football" is used to refer to the code of football that is considered dominant within a particular region.

Globally, and not necessarily in native English speaking countries, the word "football" usually refers to association football as this is the most widely played code of football. The name "soccer" (or "soccer football") was originally a slang abbreviation of association football and is now the prevailing term in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand where other codes of football are dominant.

Of the 45 national FIFA affiliates in which English is an official or primary language, only three (Canada, Samoa and the United States) actually use "soccer" in their organizations' official names, while the rest use football (although the Samoan Federation actually uses both). However, in some countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, use of the word "football" by soccer bodies is a recent change and has been controversial.

Present day codes and "families" of football

Association football and games descended from it

An indoor soccer game at an open air venue in Mexico. The referee has just awarded the red team a free kick.
  • Football, also known as football, soccer, footy and footie.
  • Indoor/basketball court varieties of Football:
    • Five-a-side football – played throughout the world under various rules including:
      • Futsal – the FIFA-approved five-a-side indoor game.
      • Minivoetbal – the five-a-side indoor game played in East and West Flanders where it is hugely popular.
      • Papi fut — the five-a-side game played in outdoor basketball courts (built with goals) in Central America.
    • Indoor soccer – the six-a-side indoor game as played in North America. Known in Latin America, where it is often played in open air venues, as fútbol rápido ("fast soccer").
  • Paralympic football – modified Football for athletes with a disability. Includes:
  • Beach soccer – football played on sand, also known as sand soccer.
  • Street football – encompasses a number of informal varieties of football.
  • Rush goalie – is a variation of football in which the role of the goalkeeper is more flexible than normal.
  • Headers and volleys – where the aim is to score goals against a goalkeeper using only headers and volleys.
  • Fouling football – all tackles except the use of weapons and (usually) kicks to the groin are allowed.
  • Crab football - players stand on their hands and feet and move around on their backs whilst playing soccer as normal

Rugby school football and games descended from it

  • Rugby football
  • American football – called "football" in the United States and Canada, and "gridiron" in Australia and New Zealand. Sometimes called "tackle football" to distinguish it from the touch versions.
    • Arena football – an indoor version of American football.
    • Eight-man football - a version of tackle football, played primarily by smaller high schools that lack enough players to field full 11-man teams.
    • Touch football (American) – non-tackle American football.
      • Flag football – non-tackle American football, like touch football, in which a flag that is held by velcro on a belt tied around the waist is pulled by defenders to indicate a tackle.
  • Canadian football – called simply "football" in Canada; "football" in Canada can mean either Canadian or American football depending on context.

Irish and Australian varieties of football

International rules football test match in 2005 between Australia and Ireland at Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia.

These codes have in common the absence of an offside rule, the requirement to bounce or solo (toe-kick) the ball while running, handpassing by punching the ball rather than throwing it, and other traditions.

  • Australian rules football – officially known as "Australian football", and informally as "Aussie rules" or "footy". In some areas (erroneously) referred to as "AFL", which is the name of the main organising body and competition.
    • Auskick – a version of Australian rules designed by the AFL for young children.
    • Metro footy (or Metro rules footy) – a modified version invented by the USAFL, for use on gridiron fields in North American cities (which often lack grounds large enough for conventional Australian rules matches).
    • 9-a-side footy – a more open, running variety of Australian rules, requiring 18 players in total and a proportionally smaller playing area. (Includes contact and non-contact varieties.)
    • Rec footy – "Recreational Football", a modified non-contact touch variation of Australian rules, created by the AFL, which replaces tackles with tags.
    • Touch Aussie Rules - a non-contact variation of Australian Rules played only in the United Kingdom
    • Samoa rules – localised version adapted to Samoan conditions, such as the use of rugby football fields.
    • Masters Australian football (a.k.a. Superules) – reduced contact version introduced for competitions limited to players over 30 years of age.
    • Women's Australian rules football – played with a smaller ball and (sometimes) reduced contact version introduced for women's competition.
  • Gaelic football – Played predominantly in Ireland. Sometimes referred to as "football" or "gaah" (from the acronym for Gaelic Athletic Association).
  • International rules football – a compromise code used for games between Gaelic and Australian Rules players

Surviving Medieval ball games

File:RoyalShrovetideFootballMob.jpg
The ball is hit into the air at the 2006 Royal Shrovetide Football match. (Photographer: Gary Austin.)
British Shrove Tuesday games
British Easter games
Outside the UK

Surviving public school games

Harrow football players after a game at Harrow School.

Recent inventions and hybrid games

Tabletop games and other recreations

Notes

  1. Sports historian Bill Murray, quoted by The Sports Factor, "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" (Radio National, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 31, 2002) and Michael Scott Moore, "Naming the Beautiful Game: It's Called Soccer" (Der Spiegel, June 7, 2006). See also: ICONS Online (no date) "History of Football" and; Professional Football Researchers Association, (no date) "A Freendly Kinde of Fight: The Origins of Football to 1633". Access date for all references: February 11, 2007.
  2. Sean Fagan, Breaking The Codes, RL1908.com, 2006

References

  • Mandelbaum, Michael (2004); The Meaning of Sports; Public Affairs, ISBN 1-58648-252-1
  • Green, Geoffrey (1953); The History of the Football Association; Naldrett Press, London
  • Williams, Graham (1994); The Code War; Yore Publications, ISBN 1-874427-65-8

See also

External links

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